We're just friends!
by TheHuntressofstories
Summary: Highschool AU, Nalu! Natsu likes Lucy's best friend, Lisanna. Lucy likes Natsu's best friend, Gray. When the two find out their feelings, they make a deal to help each other out. But what happens when they realize the real romance is between each other? DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I'm so excited to be starting a new Fairy Tail story! This is going to be really funny and cute, but there will be drama, don't worry! **

**Updates will happen every Satuday. I live in Australia, so more than likely the update will happen on your Friday. Chapters will have a length of minimum 2000 words. I'm hoping to update weekly, but more than likely updates will occur every two weeks. This will be a multi-chapter story. If you haven't already realized, it's a high-school romance between Natsu and Lucy. ****This story will contain swearing. **

**For those who don't know, a bento is a type of Japanese lunch. Typically, mothers make it for their children. I recommend you look it up, it's very interesting! Also, in Japan, Sakura trees represent new beginnings.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Fairy Tail. All rights belongs to their respective owners. I am not receiving any profit for this story.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 1-

"Lu-chan, look at the sakura trees!" Levy gushed, "They're so beautiful!"

"This year is definitely the start of new beginnings" Lucy agreed, also admiring the pink petals swirling gently in the breeze.

"Speaking of new beginnings" Levy said slyly, "Are you going to confess to Gray anytime soon?"

Lucy's face flushed, "N-no, of course not!" She denied emphatically, "I can't believe I told you about that"

"Aw, I think it's cute" Levy pouted, "You two look so good together!"

"You think so?" Lucy asked nervously, then took a deep breath and straightened, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should tell him"

"That's the spirit!" Levy cheered, "Go for it!"

And then Lucy slumped, "Or maybe not"

"Lu-chan" Levy scolded, "Don't be a scaredy cat!"

"It's easier said than done" Lucy protested, "I mean what if he rejects me?"

"He won't"

"Well, then what if he tells the whole school? That'd be humiliating!"

"He's not like that"

"What if when I'm speaking with him, I get tongue-tied and don't know what to say? I'm nervous enough just thinking about it"

"You have a point..." Levy mused, then brightened, "I know! Write him a love letter!"

"A... Love letter?"

"It's perfect!" Levy declared, "And you're an amazing author, Lu-chan! He'll fall in love with your amazing literary skills!"

"I wish" Lucy muttered.

Just then, a pair of hands covered her eyes, "Guess who?" A musical voice chirped.

"Oh, I don't know" Lucy said, trying to sound puzzled, even though there was a giant grin spread across her face, "Mirajane?"

"Silly!" Lisanna laughed, pulling her hands away, "I'm the _pretty_ sister!"

"Oh, so it is Mirajane!"

Lisanna swatted her head gently, "As if Mirajane is the prettier one" she scoffed, "Have you seen her hair? It's hideous"

"It's such a shame you don't grow your hair, Lisanna" Mirajane pouted, tugging one of Lisanna's short strands of hair, "It would be so pretty!"

"I think so, too" Lucy agreed, "If you grew out your hair like Mira's, it'd be awesome"

"Of course you would say that" Lisanna rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Since you're like, my sisters number one fan"

"Anyone who wants to date my sister has to be a man!" Elfman charged over to Lucy and picked her up by the collar of her shirt, "Huh?" He frowned, "You don't look like a man? Are you a man? Can you beat me in a fight? If you can beat me in a fight, you'll be a man. Don't you want to be a-"

"Okay, okay!" Lucy said, quickly backtracking before Elfman killed her so she could be reborn as a man, or something like that, "I don't want to date your sister"

"Oh" he said, letting go of her collar. An awkward silence took over the whole group for a few seconds before he shrugged, "See you later, men"

"Mira-nee" Lisanna said to her sister, completely unfazed, "If this keeps up, you'll be single for the rest of your life"

Mirajane nodded slowly, "I think you have a point"

"Speaking of being single" Levy grinned, "Lucy's going to confess to her crush today!"

This statement had multiple reactions.

"Wait, what!?"

"Oh, I wonder who it is?"

"Honestly, you've been dropping hints about this unknown crush for weeks now! Can't you just tell us who he is?"

Levy answered Lisanna's question, "You'll see who it is," she sang, "When they start dating!"

Lucy's face turned crimson, "L-Levy-chan!" She exclaimed, "I'm not telling him! And even if I did, we wouldn't start dating!"

Levy winked, "You'll be the cutest couple of the school!"

"Oh, honestly" Lisanna groaned, "Who is this mystery boy? You guys are killing me"

"Speaking of mystery boys" Lucy said, trying to draw the conversation away from her love life, "Isn't there a new kid joining our class this year? What was his name?"

"Oh, that's Natsu" Levy answered, obviously picking up on Lucy's need to change the subject, "He's not really a new student, though. Apparently, the reason he dropped out last year was to look for his father"

"Yeah" Lisanna agreed, "And then apparently when Natsu finally found him, his father didn't want anything to do with him"

"Oh" Lucy said quietly, "Jeez, that sucks"

"Yeah, it does" Levy sympathized, "Anyway, let's hurry and go to class. We'll be late otherwise"

* * *

"I am Mavis!" A short, blond haired girl announced. She had mesmerizing green, cat-like eyes, wing adornments where her ears should be and hair that reached the floor. "And I'll be your homeroom teacher for this year! Oh, and your maths teacher" she winked, "I'm known as the Fairy Tactician, so if you need any help, come to me because I'm the best!"

She was adorable. She was childlike. She didn't seem like a teacher at all.

"Um" a student called out, "How old are you?"

"I'm 118 years old" she said seriously. Then she giggled, and clapped her hands together, "No, I'm actually 23!"

Just as the class was about to bombard her with questions, Makarov entered the classroom.

Immediately the class hushed. Makarov was a man small of stature, but large with presence. Back in his prime, he'd been an elite boxer, and some of that ferocity shine through the old man today. His grandson, Laxus, had inherited his scowl and authority, but little else. For even though Makarov was a powerful man, he was gentle and kind, although one could not tell that by his rough manner of speaking.

"Brats!" He called, "This here is Mavis-sensei. Although it seems now she is not appropriate to teach you, I assure you the Fairy Tactician will prove to you otherwise. Treat her with respect, and treat her with courtesy. If I've heard any of you have made her cry once, it will be detention for a week!"

No-one dared to complain.

"That is all" he nodded, "Mavis, be good"

"I will!" She trilled.

"Oh, and one more thing" Makarov added, "With me I have Natsu. He will be rejoining this class after a years absence" he paused, then shrugged, "I don't really care what you do with him. You can bully him, beat him up, whatever, so long as it doesn't give me paperwork. I'm drowning in the stuff"

And with that, the principal of Magnolia High turned and walked out, and in his place Natsu walked in.

He had the most convincing hair dye she'd ever seen. Along with his startlingly bright pink hair, he sported brown eyes, much darker than her own, a toothy grin, and a hell of a lot of muscles. Seriously, even his muscles had muscles.

"Oi, Natsu!" Gray called out from the middle of the class, "I'm definitely gonna beat you in this years exam results"

Natsu grinned, "You wish. I'm more fired up than ever for this years exams!"

Lucy watched the exchange with interest. Gray and Natsu knew each other? Quite well, from the looks of it. But how? And why wasn't Natsu depressed and sad? He seemed that way from the rumors- wouldn't anyone be sad and depressed after their father essentially rejected them? Lucy knew all too well the pain from having a father reject you- yet Natsu seemed to be coping well. Almost too well, from the looks of it.

"It's good to see a friendly rivalry" Erza nodded, "As the student council president, I approve!"

"It's manly!" Elfman howled from the middle of the room, "I will win this manly competitions of grades"

"Elf-nii-chan, calm down" Lisanna tried, then turned to her older sister, "Mira-nee, tell him to stop"

"Oh, let him have his fun" Mirajane smiled. Although she was the eldest of the triplets by four minutes, she was very rarely strict. According to the rumors however, when she she had to enforce the rules, she did it so harshly it had been dubbed her 'Satan Soul'

"Okay, everyone!" Mavis chanted cheerfully, "Natsu, we need to find you a seat. Oh, look, there's one right at the back! Next to Lucy!"

Lucy blinked. '_How did she know my name? Maybe this so called Fairy Tactician does know what she's doing...'_

So startled by her own revelation, Lucy hadn't noticed Natsu slip into the seat beside her.

"So your names Luigi?" He frowned, "That's a weird name for a girl"

Jolted out of her musings, Lucy answered, "It's Lucy"

At that moment, Mavis once again called the class to attention, cutting them off, and began to explain what she expected of the,.

Lucy snuck a glance at Natsu, only to realize he'd been staring at her. She quickly reaffirmed her attention back to Mavis, but for the next half-hour she had the strange feeling that she was being watched.

* * *

"You have to to shopping?" Levy confirmed, looking dismayed.

Lucy nodded, "Yeah. Sorry I can't walk with you, but they're having a sale today at the supermarket. I'll walk tomorrow, I promise"

"Don't worry about it" Levy replied, "It must be tough living on your own"

Lucy smiled, "It is. At first it was really fun because I had a lot of freedom. But then, I realized I had to cook, and clean, and wash... It's still better than living with my father"

Levy struggled to find the words to consolidate her friend but found none. Instead, she gave her best friend a warm smile, a hug, and a promise to visit her apartment.

Lucy watched her best friend leave, then swore, "I forgot my bag!"

And then she raced back to her homeroom. Shoving the door open, she burst in and weaved through desks until she reached her own at the back. Letting out a sigh of relief, she picked it up, and then-

"Thief!"

Natsu grabbed her bag and began to pull. Those muscles weren't for show and Lucy could already feel her bag slipping from her fingers.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, "Let go!"

"Why are you stealing Lisanna's bag!?"

"L-Lisanna's bag? This is my bag, you idiot!"

Shock made him pause and it was in that moment Lucy yanked it back.

"Y-Your bag?" He repeated, dumbfounded, "N-no way... _You can't keep that bag!"_

And then he was trying to snatch it again.

"Why can't I keep my own bag, you psycho?"

"You can't open that!" Was it her imagination, or was he blushing? "Just give me the bag-"

_Rrrrrrrippp_

"Look!" Lucy wailed, "You ruined my new bag!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you had just given it to me" he said, annoyed.

"T-the nerve of you" Lucy was so furious she could barely speak. She couldn't even remember ever being this angry, "You... You tear my bag and you... Oh, I can't believe you... You blame me!?"

"It's obviously your fault, Luigi-"

"Lucy!"

"-Considering if you had just given me the bag, none of this would have happened"

"Why is my bag so important to you anyway?" Lucy said, looking at the remains of her bag, "Why couldn't you just- oh"

"What do you mean, oh?" He asked, then followed her gaze. In plain sight was the love letter he'd spent an entire hour preparing.

Lucy smirked, "A love letter, huh? For Lisanna?"

"Give that back!" He demanded, lunging forward again. This time, Lucy was ready for him and darted out of his reach. As she did so, the sunlight from the window shone through, illuminating the envelope and making it transparent. Lucy paused, eying it, shock coursing through her veins like a second adrenaline rush.

Lucy's jaw dropped, then she whacked Natsu on the head. She'd never been so violent in her life.

"Ow" he complained, "What was that for!? First you steal my stuff, and now you're attacking me?"

"You must be the dumbest person alive" Lucy said quietly, then yelled, "It's empty, you idiot!"

"E-Empty!?" He yelled back, "Give it to me! Let me check!"

She handed it to him, then started laughing at the look of horror on his face.

"T-This isn't funny! Stop laughing!"

"You forgot to put the letter in the envelope" she gasped, "What d'you think Lisanna would do when she opened an empty envelope?"

"S-shut up"

Her fear of him long gone, she grabbed his arm, "C'mon" she grinned, "You're coming to my place. I'm gonna give you a crash course"

"On what?"

"On how to get Lisanna to like you! I'm one of her best friends! I know exactly what she looks for in a guy" she gave him a critical once-over, "I think with you, we might need some work"

"H-hey!"

"But you're not a complete lost cause" she concluded, "But before that, I have to go shopping. You're coming with me"

Lucy had never acted like this before. Never before had she been so alive. Her entire life, she'd listened to her father. Heck, the only noteworthy part of her life was when she'd rebelled against her father and run away from home. But now, she was inviting a guy she'd just met to her apartment, to give him love advice on how to date her best friend. The thought made her giddy. She'd always wanted some sort of excitement in her life, some sort of adventure like she'd read about in her books.

She didn't know what it was about Natsu, but already she felt comfortable around him. She felt as though she'd known him for months.

"Look, Lucy" Natsu said, "I'm not going to your place, and I'm not going shopping with you"

"Yes, you are" Lucy said confidently.

"You weirdo, I barely even know you. Do you make it a habit to invite guys you don't know over to your apartment?"

"No" Lucy confessed, "Actually, you'd be the first. But you're coming with me"

"And how do you know?"

"Simple. You want to date Lisanna, right? Like I said, I'm her best friend. It'll be a piece of cake"

"Y-you'd really help me?" He said, unsure.

"Of course. I'm not heartless" she scoffed, "But in return, you have to buy me a new bag"

A grin grew in his face. He held his hand up, "Deal"

She lifted her own hand, and gave him a high five, "Deal"

* * *

"Wow, Lucy, you have a nice place" Natsu remarked.

"O-oh, you think so? It's not much, especially when you compare it to my father's place..."

And a nice place it was. Her one bedroom apartment was spacious, with huge windows that filled her room with natural lighting. They led to a balcony which offered an amazing view of Magnolia at night. Her kitchen was also spacious, with windows above the sink that also offered a spectacular birds-eye view. Her living room had a beautiful wooden table which was a few meters away from a giant television. Her bathroom was clean, well lit, and tastefully arranged, as was her bedroom.

"It's awesome!" Natsu cheered, "You must have people over all the time!"

"Actually, you're the first person I've invited" Lucy admitted.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah"

She waited for the awkward questions, for him to start asking why, or if she had no friends. The response he gave was neither of those things.

He grinned, "Thanks, Luce, for letting me be the first visitor!"

_'L-Luce? Seriously? No-ones ever called me that before... But when he says it, it sounds kinda nice. Oh, fine, I'll let him get away with it. How can I say no, when he's giving me such a happy smile?'_

"Thanks for carrying my shopping bags" Lucy smiled back, "C'mon, let put this stuff away"

They worked in silent harmony, Natsu handing the items to Lucy and Lucy quickly organizing them to her liking. Soon the bags were empty.

"I'm sorry, I know I said I'd help you about Lisanna..." Lucy said, looking at the clock, "But I need to get started on dinner"

His eyes widened, "You cook?"

She nodded, "Yep. I taught myself. It took a lot of cookbooks and cooking shows, but I learned"

"Wow, is there anything you can't do?"

Blushing slightly at the compliment, Lucy confessed, "I can't sew. At all. All my clothes have tears in them, but I don't know how to fix it"

He laughed and Lucy felt her blush deepen.

'_Lisanna, what did you do to make a guy like this crush on you? He's so much different than the rest... He's really nice and mature. I think he and I could become really good friends'_

"So, what are you going to make?"

"Curry. Wanna help?"

He looked worried, "I'm not to good at cooking. I eat a lot of frozen meals"

"Your parents don't cook?"

Too late, Lucy remembered the story of his father. A shadow crossed over his bright features, dimming them.

"I live on my own" he said quietly.

"Oh"

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, then-

"Look, I'm sorry I-"

"I didn't mean to make it-"

They both paused, and laughed.

"You first" Natsu encouraged.

"I'm sorry I asked. I've heard the rumors, and... I know what it's like to have a shitty dad"

"Don't be. The rumors tend to exaggerate" Natsu replied, "And actually, that's starting to smell good. I might help out after all"

There was something lovely, Lucy decided, about the domesticity of all this. She'd never had anyone over at her apartment before, simply because she didn't want anyone's pity. She knew that if she invited Levy over, the bluenette would immediately start fretting over Lucy's mental wellbeing. However with Natsu, she didn't have to worry about all that. He was in the same boat as her; he knew what it felt like.

"Natsu, what are you doing? The meat is going to burn!"

He looked at her oddly, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Put the water in"

"Why? We're not going to _drink_ the curry"

"Idiot, it's for the sauce! We gotta let it simmer and reduce before we add the powder"

He still looked confused. Huffing, Lucy grabbed a cup and began to pour the water in.

"There. Now we just have to leave it for a little bit"

About fifteen minutes later, it was finished. Somehow, Lucy had managed to make sure Natsu didn't burn her curry.

"That's a lot of hot sauce" she said critically, eyeing the amount Natsu was pouring over his portion.

He shrugged, "I like my food spicy"

They sat down to eat, and then Lucy began, "So" she said, "What do you want to know about Lisanna?"

"Umm" he frowned, "I'm not sure.."

"What type of guy she likes?"

"Yeah. That"

"Umm" Lucy pondered, "I've never really asked her, so..."

He scoffed, "Useless"

She glared, "Hey! Watch your mouth. I made you dinner, be a little grateful"

"I helped"

"Yeah, by nearly burning the curry"

"I still don't understand why you add water"

Lucy opened her mouth to retort, then quickly reconsidered, "Hold on, we're supposed to be talking about Lisanna here! Stop distracting me!"

"Fine, fine"

"I think... Lisanna likes guys who are confident. She's really cheerful, so I don't think she'd like someone pessimistic, but then, maybe she likes the whole opposites attract thing..."

"So you don't know" Natsu surmised.

"I- I do know! I'm not completely useless" Lucy defended, then sighed, "OK. I don't know. But I wasn't lying when I said I can help you. I'll ask her about it tomorrow"

"Yeah, okay" he looked embarrassed. She couldn't blame him, what guy liked talking about his crush?

"Wait one minute" Lucy ordered, standing up, "I'll be back in a second"

She walked quickly to her bedroom, and retrieved a stack of papers. She returned back to Natsu, and slammed the papers in front of him.

"Read" she commanded.

He looked puzzled, but didn't question it, "Dear mama. How are things? I met this guy called Gray today-"

"Not aloud!" Lucy flushed, "Just- Just read it"

He continued in silence. A moment passed... Two moments... Three...

"YOU LIKE GRAY!?" he roared, doubling over in laughter, "Gray!? That stripper finally got himself an admirer, huh? Oh, wow. You. You're way too good for him"

At yet another compliment, she blushed harder, "Y-You think so?"

He nodded seriously, sobering up, "Definitely. Any girl is too good for that snowball"

And then he cracked up again.

'_Oh. So he wasn't complimenting me in particular, just mocking Gray... Why do I care what he thinks anyway? I only met him today'_

But the answer was staring her dead in the face. She trusted Natsu. She trusted Natsu with her secret, one that she hadn't told Lisanna. She trusted him enough to invite him over to her apartment. There was something about him, something that made her believe in him. Something that made her trust in him. Not quite charisma, yet something similar to it.

"Look, Natsu, you can't tell anybody" Lucy stressed, "Anybody"

He looked offended, "C'mon Luce, as if I'd do that"

"What's with the Luce?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

He shrugged, "It's one syllable. It's easier to say than Lucy. And it suits you"

"T-thanks"

"Anyway" he looked around, and nodded, "You seem nice. And since you're helping me with Lisanna, I suppose I'd better help you with Gray"

Now it was her turn to scoff, "Please. What can you do? I'm Lisanna's best friend, it'll be easy. For you, it'll be much more difficult to get Gray to trust you"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" He grinned, showing his fangs, "I'm Gray's best friend. And now I want to puke. That sounds disgusting"

"Guys" Lucy muttered, "Can't ever 'fess up about their feelings"

"I was gonna confess to Lisanna, y'know"

This made Lucy giggle, "With your _invisible lette_r"

He raked a hand through his hair sheepishly, "Yeah, that was kinda stupid" he admitted.

"It was" Lucy confirmed.

The time passed so quickly. Soon, it was late, and Natsu was going to have to head home.

"I don't wanna leave" he complained, "Your apartments much nicer than mine. And cleaner. And your bed is awesome!"

"Come over again tomorrow" Lucy found herself inviting. What am I doing?

"Really? I can? Thanks, Luce!" He beamed.

She gave him a smile, "Yeah. But we might actually have to do homework tomorrow. At this rate, I'm going to fail this years exams"

His eyes widened, "Shit! Studying! I have to beat the snowball in this years exams! See ya, Luce!"

And then he raced to the doorway. He paused, turning around. Looking slightly embarrassed, he said so quietly Lucy almost didn't catch it, "Thanks for everything, Luce"

And then he was gone.

She sighed, a giant grin on her face, "How can he be so cute?" Looking over at the mess of her apartment, "Guess I'd better clean, and make my bento for tomorrow..." Her voice trailed off, and she stood there deep in thought, "Natsu said he lived on his own... And he obviously can't cook... Maybe I should make him a bento, too? It'll be easy, I can just double the quantities..."

Firming her resolve, she nodded, "Alright. I'm gonna make Natsu a bento!"

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed! Please, leave a review telling me what you think, what you liked or what you disliked!**


	2. Bad days, good nights

**A/N So I've managed a weekly update! Let's hope it continues! I've really enjoyed writing** **this chapter, especially the beginning and the end, although I have a feeling it's a little rushed. And for those here for the drama, it should start in the next chapter. **

**It's been brought to my attention that my grammar is lacking. The issue is, I don't know what I'm doing wrong! ****So I've decided that I need a beta reader. If there's anyone out there who's willing, it would be really appreciated. Even if you don't want to beta, if you see something drop a review telling me what it is so I can fix it! **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! It means a lot. And to those who just read, thank you as well, for taking the time to read this!**

* * *

Chapter 2-

"It's finished!" Lucy hummed in appreciation, "I wonder if he'll like it."

Dressed in her school uniform, Lucy glanced at the clock. It was seven fifty in the morning and Lucy was about to leave her apartment and head for school. School didn't start until eight thirty, but Lucy lived a fair distance away from Magnolia High, so the trip there in public transport took quite some time. This wasn't unusual for Japanese students, with some even traveling for an hour and a half to their schools. Lucy was rather lucky in that her trip only took thirty minutes.

Suddenly, there was a banging on her door.

Lucy froze, "I wonder who it could be." she muttered to herself. The only person who knew this apartment was Nastu and her landlady, Spetto-san.

Opening the door, an extremely disheveled Natsu greeted her.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy said, her eyes wide, "W-What are you doing here?"

"Lucyyyyy" he begged, "Please! Give me food! I ran out!"

The panic left her in one big sigh, "Breakfast? Really? Nastu, I have to leave in ten minutes."

He brushed past her, charging into her kitchen and taking out her toaster and some bread. He was, undoubtedly, making himself at home.

"How could you run out of food?" Lucy inquired, "Last night it seemed like you had heaps of food at your place"

He finished making his toast and then proceeded to shove the food in his mouth,"Nope. Ran out. Was gonna die"

Lucy eyed him critically, "You don't die from skipping breakfast."

"Lucy," he said seriously, "I was going to die. Stop being so selfish!"

She frowned, "Natsu, you didn't run out of food, did you?"

He didn't answer.

"Natsu?"

"Fine, fine" he confessed, "No, I didn't."

"Then why did you come here?"

He stopped eating for a second, caught her eyes and held them, and said sincerely, "I was lonely."

Lucy felt her breath catch. What was with him? Why was he so honest about his feelings? He was so much different than the rest, yet...

So much better.

"I understand" she gave him a sympathetic smile, "It gets lonely here as well. But don't you live far away? It must take you forever to get here"

He gave her a confused frown, "Far away? I live five minutes away from here"

Lucy felt her jaw drop, "What!?"

"Yeah. C'mon, you can see my place from your balcony. I'll show you"

They stepped outside onto the balcony. Although it was spring, Lucy felt a shiver run across her bare arms. It was cold in the mornings, and her uniform wasn't helping keep her warm.

All of a sudden, she felt warmth around her neck. Her hand flew to her neck to surprise; it was Natsu's scarf.

"Just wear it" he said gruffly, "I'm not cold, anyway"

A huge, grateful smile covered her features, "Thank you" she whispered. It was so thoughtful. Again, she was blown away by him. Although a jacket would've warmed her more.

"So, it's over there" he said, pointing in the distance.

Lucy followed his finger, "Where?"

"There. Next to that building"

"I can't see it"

"It's right there! Just look!"

"What are you pointing at? The sky? Yes, Natsu, I can see the sky. It's a sky. It's kinda hard to miss"

He made an annoyed sound, "Not the sky!"

She leaned closer towards him, trying to see it, "The clouds?"

He choked back a laugh, "Stop looking at the sky."

"I give up. One day, I'll visit your apartment and see it for myself"

"It's a deal" he grinned.

As he said that, Lucy realized how close they were standing. His lips were inches away from her own, their bodies pressed against each other. She had a feeling she should move away, but for some reason her limbs weren't listening to her.

Her brain was fuzzy, yet somehow one important fact leapt into her brain.

"School!" She blurted, "We're gonna be late"

"School" he repeated, slightly distracted, "Right"

"It's the second day of school!" She panicked, rushing inside and grabbing her bag, "I don't wanna be late! Hurry up!" When she realized he wasn't moving, simply staring at her, she exclaimed, "What!?"

He shook his head, looking slightly confused, "Nothing" he said at last, then ran inside grabbed his own bag and her hand. When she gave him a puzzled look, he flashed her a smile and said, "Let's go! You don't wanna be late, right?"

A smile spread on her features, "Right!" She agreed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, when they finally reached the train station, she was regretting letting him grab her hand.

The guy ran like a lunatic, and he hadn't stopped, not once. When they'd finally finished weaving through streets and people, he barely looked puffed. Lucy, however, was another story. Red faced and sweating, she gasped for breath.

"I... Hate... You" she panted.

"You're really out of shape" Natsu commented, then grinned, "Don't worry! I'll make you run every morning until you're fit. We could be like a team! Team Natsu!"

"Oh...Mavis... No.."

He laughed, offering her a hand up. She accepted it, and he pulled her up with ease. Her breathing now under control, she glared at him.

"I told you to stop running."

"You did?" He said, feigning innocence.

"I told you," she repeated, "_to stop running_."

He was looking past her at something, and then he said, "Shit, our train's about to leave!"

And then he had grasped her hand and was dragging her to the train. This time, she didn't even bother complaining or resisting, she just let him drag her into the train. It was then she realized the odd glances they were getting, and her cheeks lit up. This must've looked awful. They must've looked like a... A couple, or something.

They burst into the crowded train, stumbling into other people.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry" Lucy muttered.

The seats were all taken. She and Natsu had to stand, rather close together at that, whilst all the people bustled around them. The train jolted into motion, and Lucy lost her balance.

"W-woah!" She cried out, toppling slightly.

Natsu lunged over, grabbing her arm and pulling her up.

"Thanks" she said shakily, "Wow, I don't think it's ever been this busy."

He cast a worried look around and murmured his agreement, "Don't let go of my hand. We might lose each other."

She nodded. His hand was warm, and slightly rough. After holding it for so long, it was also... Kinda comforting.

And that was how they spent most of the train ride. Sandwiched together, clutching each other's hands as though they were lifelines, and occasionally passing a few words in conversation. A part of Lucy was embarrassed, but another part of her was... Strangely calm. And it was the latter part of her that been growing since yesterday, a bolder, stronger and more confident part of her that Lucy was growing to like.

When they finally got off, Lucy let out a sigh of relief.

Natsu noticed, "I hope everyday isn't like that"

"Me too"

They walked to school, carrying an easy conversation. Lucy discovered that they had nearly all of their classes together. She found out that he was an only child. He wanted to get a blue cat and name it Happy. The last statement made her laugh.

As she walked, she saw the same sakura blossoms that she had seen yesterday. Recalling the conversation she'd had with Levy, she glanced over at Natsu.

_New beginnings, indeed._

"Lu-chan!" Levy called, walking over to her, "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Levy-chan"

Levy paused, noticing Lucy's partner, "Good morning, Natsu-san"

"Just Natsu is fine" he said cheerfully, "Can I call you Levy?"

"S-sure" Levy shot Lucy a questioning glance. The meaning was clear, '_What were they doing together?'_

Natsu, realizing that Levy wasn't comfortable around him excused himself and left.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Levy hissed, "What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?"

"_That_! I thought you liked Gray!"

"_I do_! But with Natsu... It's not like that!" At Levy's skeptical glance, she persisted, "Really! Natsu's like... He's really nice. And he knows what it's like to live on your own, and to have a father who hates you, and he knows what it's like to... To..." have a crush on someone who barely notices you.

Levy's eyes widened, "Oh, Lu-chan... I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"It's okay, don't worry about it" Despite the reassuring words, Lucy's voice was a little terse.

"Oi, shrimp, bunny-girl" Gajeel's gruff voice interrupted them, "Are we going to start walking or just stand around all day?"

"Morning, Gajeel" Lucy said brightly. A year ago, when she'd first met Gajeel, she'd been terrified of him. Now, not so much.

"I'm not that short! Stop calling me shrimp!"

Gajeel simply stared at her, then finally said, "Yes, you are, shrimp"

"Alright, lovebirds, knock it off" Lucy rolled her eyes and started walking.

"We're not lovebirds!" They screeched in unison.

"Right" Lucy turned her head around slightly, so she could make eye-contact, "So are you dating or not?"

Blushes appeared on both their cheeks as they looked in opposite directions. "We're dating" they muttered sullenly.

Lucy allowed an amused smirk to emerge, "I'm never going to stop teasing you" she laughed, "It's too fun!"

"It's been four months since we've started dating, Lu-chan. Aren't you bored?"

Just as Lucy was about to answer, her attention was taken by the loud argument she could hear in front of her. Whipping her head around, she turned to see... Natsu and Gray.

"As if you got 98% on the maths test! You're such a lying snowball!"

"Why, is it so hard to believe that I'm smarter than you?"

"A dumbass like you probably cheated!"

"I cheated!? You probably cheated off of my paper!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"That's enough!"

"Oh, it's the Salamander" Gajeel said interestedly, "Looks like he's about to get a lecture from Titania"

Lucy winced in sympathy, "Is this normal?"

"Yep" Levy affirmed, "The year before Natsu left, they were like this every day. Our class became a lot quieter when Natsu left last year"

"So you guys all went to the same middle school?" Lucy asked interestedly.

"Yeah, you and Gajeel were the only new additions to our class, I think. Oh, and Juvia. But she's sick a lot, so it's not like we see her much"

Lucy had only seen Juvia on a few occasions, and from a distance. Juvia was usually on her own, and she had a habit of staring out of the window at the stormy sky. For some reason, Lucy could never shake off the feeling that Juvia's eyes held sadness... And lots of it.

"Save us!"

Lucy's attention snapped back to Natsu and Gray, who were trying to run away from Erza. It was a futile attempt. Soon Erza had them lifted by the collars of their shirts and was hissing threats at them.

* * *

People were talking about her.

Lucy noticed it almost immediately. When she'd walked by people, they'd lean over to their friends and speak in hushed whispers. When she talked to people from other classes, they had been friendly enough, but a little distant.

The question was, what about? Lucy hadn't done anything recently that warranted gossip. At least, not anything public. It irritated her to no end, and for the rest of the day she was self-conscious, wondering what she had done to deserve it. She hoped it wasn't anything too bad.

Her suspicions were confirmed at lunch, when Lisanna charged at her.

"Lucy!" She exclaimed, "Is it true?"

Startled by her friends enthusiasm, Lucy queried, "Is what true!"

"That you and Natsu are dating!"

Lucy had been putting a piece of food in her mouth. At Lisanna's statement, she immediately began to choke.

"Lu-chan" Levy said worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Lucy gasped, "Just surprised..."

Levy turned to Lisanna, "What do you mean?"

Now Lisanna was confused, "Didn't you tell me yesterday Lucy was going to confess to the guy she likes?"

"Yeah, I did."

"And that I would find out who it was when they started dating?"

"I said that."

Lisanna grinned, "All the rumors today are about Lucy and Natsu! Cana saw them leave their apartment together, and Loke saw them on the train together! Apparently they were standing really close."

Lucy flushed, "It's not like that! I'm not dating him!"

Lisanna frowned, "Then were the rumors a lie?"

Her blush deepened, "N-Not exactly... I mean, we were on the train together, but we're not dating..."

Lisanna looked skeptical, but didn't comment further.

_'This is bad_' she realized, _'If everyone thinks we're dating, I'll have no chance with Gray! And Natsu won't have a chance with Lisanna...'_

She was so upset, she completely forgot about the extra bento in her bag.

"Lucy!" Gray called, walking over to her desk.

"Y-Yes!?"

She was stiff, her heart thumping way too fast. Her mind was whirling, and already she could feel a blush creeping into her features. Her palms began to sweat, and her fingers started drumming on the table, an unconscious habit Lucy had whenever she was nervous.

"I've heard you and the flame brain are dating," He smirked, "I don't know why you chose him, but congratulations!"

"U-um... Thanks?"

He left, and then Lucy realized what he'd said. She charged after him, "No, wait! NatsuandIaren'tdating"

He frowned, "What?"

"Natsu and I aren't dating" she forced herself to calm down, "We're just friends"

"Oh," Gray said, "Okay"

They stood there in silence before Gray excused himself.

_'H-he didn't seem upset that me and Natsu were dating! He seemed happy! N-no way... Does he really have so little interest in me? I didn't expect him to be in love with me or anything... But he doesn't care at all?'_

Dismay drenched her, sticking to her like a second skin made of lead. It weighed her down, and for the rest of her classes she was in a glum mood.

* * *

Lucy walked home alone.

Her reasons were simple. If anyone saw her and Natsu together, more rumors would spread, thus ruining their chances with their respective crushes. And she wasn't walking home with Levy, because she didn't want to handle her friends prying questions about how she and Natsu met.

How was she going to tell Levy about how she met Natsu? She couldn't betray Natsu by telling Levy about his crush on Lisanna, but she also couldn't betray Levy by not telling her anything. Levy was her best friend after all, and that meant she deserved answers, whether Lucy was willing to give them or not.

She heaved a sigh, her heart heavy and her mind full. She should've expected this. What had she been thinking? She'd invited Natsu into her life so quickly on an impulse. And now things were tumbling down so fast and she just wanted everything to stop for a second so she could look around and understand what was going on, and what she had to do.

"Lucy!"

Hearing her voice, she turned around. It was Lisanna.

"Lucy," Lisanna huffed, gasping for air, "Are you deaf? I've been calling out to you for an entire minute!"

"O-oh" Lucy murmured, "Sorry"

Lisanna frowned, "Are you okay? You haven't been yourself recently."

It was then Lucy remembered how perceptive Lisanna could be, with her own feelings and those around her. The youngest Strauss triplet had always been that way, for as long as Lucy had known her. Lisanna possessed the rare talent of knowing what to say and when to say it, something Lucy had always envied.

"I'm fine," Lucy tried.

Lisanna winked, "Liar! But y'know, if you want to talk, I'm always here."

'_But I wasn't lying when I said I can help you. I'll ask her about it tomorrow'_

Her eyes widened slightly, '_Natsu! I promised him I'd find out what guy Lisanna likes... I might not be able to stop the rumors, but I can still help! I'm not completely useless!'_

"Lisanna," Lucy said suddenly, "What do you look for in a guy?"

Lisanna pressed her lips together in thought, "Like a boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

Lisanna nodded slowly, "I want a guy who will treat me right, make me laugh, listen to me and accept me."

Lucy nodded.

"And, um... I don't know, it's hard to think of it right on the spot. If I think of any more, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Lisanna" Lucy said sincerely, "And sorry for asking you such a weird question out of nowhere"

"Don't worry about it. What else are friends for?"

* * *

When Lucy reached her apartment, her door was open.

Naturally, her first thought was, _'Oh my god. There's someone in my apartment"_

Inwardly debating on calling the police, she took a tentative step in. And immediately scowled.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?"

He was sitting on the floor, and gazed up at her innocently, "Nothing"

Her eyes surveyed her apartment quickly, trying to assess the damage, "How'd you get into my apartment?"

"You forgot to lock the door this morning. Probably 'cause you were late to school"

Then she saw it. Placed behind his back, there were a stack of papers. A stack of papers no-one should ever see.

"My novel!" She screeched, lunging over and rescuing her papers, before delivering a kick right into Natsu's stomach. Of course, her legs didn't no much damage, and Natsu's abs were like goddamn iron, so she nearly broke her foot doing it. Still, it made her feel better.

"Lucy" he whined, "I was up to the good bit! Give it back!"

"No!" She snapped, her voice hard, "This is private! It's really important to me, and you're not allowed to read it!"

He looked slightly ashamed, "Sorry, Luce. I didn't know you'd get so upset if I read it..."

He looked like an injured puppy, and Lucy softened, "Sorry for yelling. It's just, I don't like anyone reading this... Not even Levy or Lisanna has read it"

He nodded, then frowned, "What's wrong with your bag? There's rice spilling out of it."

She glanced down at her bag, and indeed, there was rice spilling out a hole in the corner. She gasped, "Your bento! Oh, no, not after I spent so long making it..."

She dropped her bag and rummaged through it, salvaging the box. The bento that she had so lovingly prepared the night before, the bento that was shaped like a dragon (because he'd told her his favorite animals were dragons) was ruined. The head and stomach had mixed together, the ingredients muddled into an unidentifiable mess.

To her horror, her eyes filled with tears, "Nothing's going right!" She cried out, "Everyone thinks we're dating, I forgot to give you your bento, you saw my novel, Gray congratulated me and now your bento's ruined! It was so good, too, Natsu, I really tried and-"

She was silenced by him wrapping his arms around her. Strong and warm, they locked her in an embrace, and she hid her face in his chest, a smell of cinnamon and smoke filling her nostrils. Her face heated up from the humiliation of nearly crying in front of Natsu. And then her blush deepened when she realized they were hugging. She'd never hugged a guy this tightly before- she was an only child and her father had never been the hugging sort, and the only boyfriend she'd ever had was a guy from her middle school who held her hand, called her beautiful and kissed her cheek (she'd dumped him because she realized he'd only dated her for her father's money)

She stepped back, confused. He looked just as confused as she did.

"W-W-Why did you do that?"

"I don't know! I just... Whenever I was upset when I was a kid, my dad would come and hug me and it made me feel better. I thought maybe it would work on you, too"

Lucy lowered her head, her blonde hair falling as a shield to hide her burning face, "O-Oh," she said quietly, "Thanks, Natsu. It worked. I think I've calmed down"

"And I don't think any things that bad," Natsu reasoned, "Sure, your second new bag is ruined. I'll just buy you another one, it's no big deal"

He knelt down and extracted her books from the mess and placed them on the table.

"See?" He nodded, "They're fine! But when you open them, rice might fall out. That's still awesome though! You have an excuse to get away with eating in class now! I'm so jealous!"

"Natsu" Lucy whispered, finding herself unable to whisper anything else.

"And it doesn't matter about the bento being ruined. It sucks that I didn't get to see it, but I bet it still tastes great. Oh! Maybe we can fix it if we move the rice and the meat around, like this..."

"N-Natsu... What are you... I don't understand..."

"Look!" He said proudly, showing her the bento, "I made a key!"

Lucy smiled softly, "A key?"

"Well, sorta." He squinted, and turned his head slightly, "If you look at it from this angle though, it looks like a key. From a normal angle, you can't see it"

Lucy rubbed her eyes, the last of her tears going away, "A normal angle, huh." she whispered.

"And I'm really sorry about seeing your novel," he said, handing her one of her textbooks, "Here. Hit me on the head as hard as you can and see if it'll give me amnesia. Then I'll forget your book."

She laughed, "Amnesia? But what if you forget something important?"

"It'll be worth it," he said confidently, "Cause you look better when you smile"

She hesitantly accepted the book, her smile growing, and tapped him gently on the head.

"Harder!" He demanded, "I can't get amnesia from a lousy hit like that!"

"How about I place a magic spell on you instead?" Lucy asked, "It'll still make you forget, just with less pain"

"Alright. Let's do that"

She knocked him on the head, "Open, gate of the dragon! Natsu! I, Lucy Heartfilia, command you to forget my novel!"

"I think it worked!" He said sincerely.

She giggled, "If it worked, how would you know what we were talking about?"

He frowned, then sighed, "You're right. Looks like magic spells don't work."

"No, Natsu, I think it worked just fine."

She met his eyes and they shared a smile. There were so many emotions churning within her, but there was one easily discernible: happiness.

"As for the rumors about us dating, leave it to me." He informed her, "Tomorrow morning, you'll come to school and no-one will be talking about us."

"How are you going to do that?"

"With my dragon-slaying magic. But it takes a lot of energy to use it. I think I need you to make me another bento so I can replenish my energy afterwards."

"And dinner too, right?"

He beamed, "And breakfast?"

Lucy pretended to be angry, "Am I your maid, now?"

"You make good food, so... Yes"

She shook her head, "I've never met anyone who can eat as much as you. You should enter a food-eating competition"

"What's that?"

"It's where people give you food for free to see how much you can eat."

He all but began to drool, "Free.. Food..."

She swatted him on the head, "You'll get fat if you eat too much. Now, c'mon, you're helping me cook."

"Again?" He pouted, and damn was he adorable, "But Luce, I can't cook."

"You're going to learn," she decided, "How am I supposed to stop worrying about you if you can't cook? You need to eat properly!"

"You worry about me?"

His simple question made her pause. Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded, "Yes. You're my friend"

"You're my friend too, Luce!" He said cheerfully.

"Right, let's start cooking."

* * *

**Oh, they are just too cute. So, Lucy and Natsu are now friends, (That was quick) and there are rumors being spread about them, not to mention Lucy is now on her third bag! Will this bag stay intact, or will the flimsy material let her down once again?**


	3. Trust me

**A/N So this chapter took two weeks. I'm sorry for the wait, but I hit a case of writers block due to poor planning. I know the direction of where I want the story to go now, so hopefully it shouldn't happen again.**

**Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed! Reviews are most dear to my heart, but everything is appreciated. **

* * *

Chapter 3-

The next morning, Natsu didn't show up to her apartment.

Logically, she should have expected it. Just because he'd shown up once didn't mean it would become a routine. And regardless of what had happened last night, that didn't guarantee a visit from him.

Still, she was disappointed. For some weird reason, she'd been looking forward to seeing him in the morning. Wherever he went, he seemed to fill the room with life. Sure, he was noisy and messy, but, as Lucy stood in her kitchen, glancing at the clock, she found herself yearning for his presence. Without him, her apartment was eerily quiet, the humming of the fridge no longer comforting, but unsettling.

Giving once last glance to the clock, she sighed. She'd have to leave now, otherwise she'd be late.

She arrived at school rather quickly, the train carrying maybe half of the passengers who had been on yesterday. As she walked through the hall, she didn't see a single person from her class. Frowning, she entered her homeroom.

She nearly screamed.

The tables were upturned, the chairs flung in many directions. One of the widows had cracked, as though someone had punched it. There was soot on the walls, as though there had been a fire. It looked as if a dragon had walked into the room and had thrown a tantrum.

"Lucy!" It was Lisanna. Her blue eyes were wide and sorrowful, "I'm sorry!"

"S-Sorry? Why?"

"I'm sorry, too" Macao walked over, "Man, I'm pathetic. I didn't even try to stop the rumors."

"Oui," Reedus walked over, his head lowered in shame, "Sorry, Lucy, for allowing a smear of slander ruin your portrait!"

"E-everyone, what's wrong? I don't understand... What happened to the room?" Lucy was really worried now..

"The dumbass burst in here screaming about how you weren't a couple," Gray said, and Lucy could already feel her heart start to thump, "He said that we were all idiots, and that you were just friends"

"N-Natsu did?" Lucy whispered, her eyes widening, "H-He said he's handle the rumors... But to go this far?"

Levy nodded, "He even said that if we made you cry one more time, he'd destroy us. And that it was unforgivable of us to make you cry even once. I'm sorry, Lu-chan, I didn't realize it affected you so much..."

_'H-he said that? All of that? Natsu... Thank you. No one has ever done so much for me... No one has ever cared enough'_

"Let's cut the sappy shit," Cana rolled her eyes, handing Lucy a sponge, "Quick, we gotta clean this before Mavis-sensei arrives. Since this is all your fault, Lucy, since Natsu did all of this for you, you'd better start cleaning."

Lucy nodded, "Okay!" She said enthusiastically, her famed optimism returning, "Let's do this!"

Miraculously, working together, they managed to make the class look presentable before Erza and Mavis walked in. Natsu walked in after them, acting the same way as usual, but Lucy quickly noticed the small things- the tense of his shoulders, the small frown on his forehead, the slight edge to his tone- and her fingers starting drumming on the table, her nervous habit kicking in.

He sat in the seat next to her, as always, and seemed focused in class. It was during the second lesson of the day that the worry took over Lucy's better judgement, and she passed him a note.

'_Are you okay?'_

Those three words seemed so little, so insignificant compared to what he'd done for her. And despite her literary abilities, Lucy found she could say nothing else. After staring at it for three minutes, trying to word it better, she finally passed it to him.

He read it, and Lucy waited for his reaction. And just like that, the frown in his brow disappeared, his posture relaxed, and his eyes softened. He turned to her, and smiled. Lucy felt her breath catch. It was a sincere smile, bright and genuine and it seemed to have come from his very soul.

She felt her lips stretching outward, returning his smile. He was fine.

After class ended and their teacher left, she quickly turned to him, fully intending to use this opportunity to thank him.

"Natsu," she said simply, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

He grinned, "Anytime. I love having an excuse to yell at people and break stuff."

"No, honestly, thank you," she said, trying to put her gratitude into words, "No-ones ever- I mean, I didn't think anyone would... No-ones ever cared enough before... I don't know what to say."

He looked slightly embarrassed, "It wasn't really that much, Luce. I'm your friend. I don't like seeing my friends cry."

Friend. Such a simple word. For some reason, it didn't seem to explain the extent of her bond with Natsu, a strong, deep trust that she couldn't express. She'd only known him for a few days, yet the word friend didn't seem enough to explain it.

Lucy decided to leave it. She didn't need to label her relationship with Natsu, anyway.

"Oi, squinty-eyes," Gray smirked, walking over, "You didn't need to break the entire classroom."

Lucy's fingers drummed on the table, gaining speed. It was so annoying- every time he came near her, she just froze up! She didn't know what to say, and she always ended up saying something stupid. Whenever she was around him, she was tongue-tied and couldn't focus. Not to mention her blush. She always blushed around him.

Natsu shrugged, "I felt like it."

Gray turned his attention to Lucy, "So, you were crying, huh?" He asked looking slightly apologetic, "Sorry. My congratulations to you yesterday probably made it more awkward for you."

"N-no, you don't need to worry about it," Lucy reassured, "It's fine. Besides, I think after Natsu's stunt this morning, everyone will be too scared to say anything."

Gray chuckled, and Lucy's stomach flipped, "Yeah. Y'know, Wakaba swore he saw a dragon instead of Natsu. Apparently Natsu's temper is strong enough to make people hallucinate."

"Really?" Natsu asked, his eyes sparkling, "He saw a dragon? Where?"

Gray whacked him on the head, "Idiot, don't you know what a hallucination is?"

Natsu glared, "Yes. It's when my fist hits your face!"

And then Natsu lunged, his right fist slamming forward. Lucy gulped. They weren't play fighting; Natsu's punch was aimed to hurt.

Gray caught his punch in his palm, and then an all out brawl ensued. At least, for five second, before Erza realized what was going on and broke them apart.

That day, Lucy was reminded why Erza had earned the nickname, 'Titania'.

"We're sorry, Erza!" They pleaded, "We won't do it again!"

"Of course you won't do it again," Erza glared, slamming her right fist into her left palm menacingly, "If you do it again, I will utterly destroy you."

"AYE-SIR!"

* * *

When Lucy, Levy and Lisanna sat at their lunch table that day, they were surprised to see Natsu, Gray and Erza already sitting there.

"Hey, Lucy!" Natsu called out cheerfully, "Come sit with us!"

Lucy glanced over at Levy and Lisanna, and they both nodded. She turned back to Natsu and grinned, "Sure!"

She went to sit beside him, but found she couldn't pull her chair out. Puzzled, she looked at the chair only to see Natsu's foot pressed on it, keeping it down. Shooting him an annoyed look, he tilted his head slightly to the other empty chair beside him.

It was a chair next to Gray.

"Natsu!" She hissed, "I'm not sitting there! No way!"

"I promised I'd help you, didn't I?" He hissed back, "Now sit down before they get suspicious!"

Thankfully, the others had completely missed their exchange. Realizing her only option left was to sit in between Natsu and Gray, she sat, her face burning. What was she going to say? What was she going to do? She had to say something witty and intelligent, something which would grab Grays attention and make him realize she wasn't just the blushing schoolgirl she transformed into when she sat next to him.

"Natsu, don't you have lunch?" Levy asked.

"I do, Lucy's going to give-"

She kicked him in the leg, hard. She did not need any more rumors being spread about them being a couple, and let's face it- if she gave him a bento in front of everyone, they would immediately assume they were a couple.

"I think he just left his lunch in his bag, right, Natsu?" Lucy asked sweetly, "I'll go with him and grab it."

She then grabbed his arm and nearly pulled him out of his chair as they left the room. As soon as they were out of earshot, he started complaining.

"Lucy, you're terrible! You didn't have to kick me that hard!"

She glared, "Yes, I did. You were about to tell them I made lunch for you! If that got spread around, there'd be no end to the rumors!"

He pulled a face, "You still didn't have to kick me."

She winced, "Sorry."

"Nah, it's okay. But your kicks are powerful. You should start an after school martial arts club. You can teach people how to do the 'Lucy Kick!"

She laughed, "Me, a martial arts instructor? You'd be much better. Anyway, here," she handed him his lunch, "Hurry up and open it! I wanna see what you think."

He took the lid off, revealing the lunch. He stood there, jaw agape in stunned silence for what felt like forever. Lucy bit her lip.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

Her voice jolted him out of his reverie. His head snapped up, his eyes still shocked.

And then-

"Lucy!" He cried out, "This is awesome! Is that hot sauce- yes, it is! It's so cool!"

She giggled, "That's good. I was worried for a second."

"How could you be worried? As if anyone wouldn't like something as awesome as this! It's a dragon!"

And just like that, with his enthusiasm and good nature, Lucy could feel her lips moving into as smile that mirrored his. His happiness was infectious- and all that effort she'd put into last night, and all the effort she'd put into the original- was worth it.

"Don't expect a lunch like this every day," She warned, "I can't spend all my nights making you lunch. I need to study, too."

They arrived back at their lunch table, only to find that Gajeel had joined them.

"Gajeel." Natsu glared.

"Salamander." Gajeel replied cooly.

Lucy looked between them, wandering why there was so much tension.

"Natsu." Erza said coldly, her voice sharp, "Sit down. Now."

Natsu sat down without fuss.

"Oh, Natsu, is that your lunch!?" Lisanna inquired, her blue eyes bright, "It's amazing! Did you make it yourself?"

"Please." Gray scoffed, "As if that matchstick could make shit. He probably bribed someone into making it."

"I didn't bribe anyone into making it for me." Natsu retorted.

"You sure as hell didn't make it yourself."

"No," Natsu admitted, "I didn't."

"Then how did you-"

Gray was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Loke.

"Lucy!" Loke sighed, getting on bended knee and grasping her hand, "It's been so long since I've beheld your exquisite beauty! Why did you reject all my calls over the holidays?"

"Because I didn't want to see you," Lucy said blandly, "You're annoying."

He recoiled dramatically, his hand over his heart, "Lucy, you mustn't play hard to get! You already have me smitten!"

"I have no interest in you whatsoever, Loke. Go find some other girl to hit on."

"Lucy, your harsh words wound me!"

"Oh, shut up, Loke."

"Hey, Loke!" Gray called out good naturedly, "I see the girls are still rejecting you, huh?"

It was well known that Gray and Loke had a good relationship. In fact, before Lucy had met Natsu, she'd thought they were best friends.

"Only the ones that count." Loke answered, winking at Lucy.

Natsu watched the exchange, and oddly, he was silent. His expression was unreadable.

The rest of lunch followed in a similar pattern. Surprisingly, Lucy found that despite not normally spending her lunches with Erza and Gray, it was fun, and she could already feel the bonds that would connect them grow. Natsu didn't contribute much, though, and Lucy felt herself start to worry once again. Was it the rumors, or his outburst this morning? Or was it Gray asking about her bento?

She decided to ask him about it later.

* * *

"Hey, Lu-chan, can I come see your apartment?" Levy inquired, "I've never visited, and we've been friends for ages! Come on, please?"

Lucy hesitated, "Oh, I don't know..."

School was now over, and Lucy was walking to the train station with everyone.

"Lucy, you have an apartment? Then we must make haste!" Erza proclaimed, "A female living on her own in these times is dangerous! Any danger can threaten you! We must set up a lock system, a plan without flaws-"

"Erza, you're getting carried away," Lucy laughed, "It's not like that."

"Eh? Bunny-girls got an apartment? Do you have food?" Gajeel inquired.

"Lucy has an apartment!" Gray grinned, "Alright! Let's go visit."

"U-umm... I don't know, maybe next time?" Lucy offered, "I just don't feel comfortable."

Erza grabbed Lucy's head and shoved it into her shoulder in an attempt for a hug, "Don't worry! I'll make sure nothing indecent happens! As the Student Council President, I assure you!"

"Somehow, that isn't making me feel any better."

"Oi, where's the Salamander?" Gajeel frowned, "Doesn't he go on this train, too?"

Lucy's forehead creased in worry, "He does." She bit her lip, "Normally. I hope he's okay..."

"Pfft, the flame brain is perfectly fine. The idiot knows how to take care of himself," Gray snorted, "He probably went to go buy food. The bastard eats more than a dragon."

Lucy nodded. Normally, she'd have been flustered, because Gray was there, standing next to her and coming to her apartment. But her worry for Natsu just seemed to take priority over everything else.

"You'd better be okay, Natsu," she whispered, too low for anyone else to hear, "He makes me worry too much. Way too much."

* * *

"Lu-chan, your apartment is amazing!"

"Very clean. I approve!"

"Tch. Looks like bunny-girl has a lot of money."

"Pretty cool, Lucy."

Thwack

"Gray! Don't strip in other peoples houses!"

Gray rubbed his head, glaring at Erza, but was wise enough not to say anything. Gajeel was roaming through her cupboards, making a mess and eating all of her food. Levy was beside him, scolding him about his manners. Erza, after chastising Gray, had walked straight to Lucy's room and was rummaging through her drawers.

They had followed her into her apartment. She'd tried every argument possible, every logical reason she could call forth, and none of them took no for answer. Lucy didn't know how to get them to leave, but she knew one thing- she wanted them out, and now. No one was allowed in her apartment. Natsu had been an exception.

"Lucy!" Erza exclaimed, holding up a bra, "These are huge! How do you wear them?"

Lucy's face burned as she shoved Erza back into her bedroom and slammed the door shut, "Stop that! It's embarrassing!"

She took a deep breath, and frowned. Something was off. She breathed in again, and realized she could smell smoke. She sprinted back to her kitchen.

"Gajeel! What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Melting iron. It tastes better."

"M-Melting iron?" Lucy repeated, feeling her energy drain.

"Lu-chan, don't worry, I'll stop him!" Levy promised, the petite girl trying to solve the giant Gajeel from Lucy's stove.

Crash!

Lucy whipped around, wondering just what could go wrong now, and was met with the sight of a completely nude Gray.

She screamed.

"Don't worry, I'll find my pants I think they're around here somewhere!"

Everything was a blur after that.

She'd been told later that she'd run into her bedroom, kicked Erza out with a surprising amount of force and locked the door. It was only when her heart had stopped pounding and her breathing was even when she felt more like herself.

And now, she was currently hiding in her bed, the sheets pulled over her body completely. It was stuffy, and hard to breathe, but Lucy didn't mind. It was something of a habit she'd contracted after her mother's death. Whenever her father would yell at her or anyone around her, she'd run into her room, lock the door, and hide in her bed. It was there, in the quiet and the calm that her emotions would settle.

She didn't why she'd overreacted. Maybe it was a mixture of everything- having so many new people in her apartment, their antics, Gajeels weird obsession, Grays stripping habit- that had made her react so strongly.

"Luce?"

She didn't respond. She didn't need to ask who it was. She knew it was Natsu even before he spoke, from the way his footsteps fell on the floor.

"Luce. Come out. They said you've been in there for an hour."

Silence.

"Luce, if you don't open the door in the ten seconds I'm breaking the door down."

She didn't move. It was an empty threat. His dad had him enrolled in anger management classes when he was younger. He wouldn't actually-

BANG.

Shit, Lucy had forgotten that he'd only lasted a week before his teacher had had enough and kicked him out. The legendary dragons temper struck once again.

She heard his footsteps as he walked into the room, felt the bed sag as he sat on it, "Luce?" He asked, his voice gentle, "What's wrong?"

When she didn't reply, he continued, "Everyones worried, you know. They called me about half an hour ago. They were all meant to go home a while ago, but they've all stayed cause they're worried. Can you come out and show them you're not mad at them?"

She felt his hands try and pull the covers off of her, but she stubbornly held on to them and refused to budge. She heard him chuckle, and all of a sudden the covers were flying off. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light, and as her eyes focused she saw that Natsu was there, smiling gently down at her.

"Hey there."

And then his eyes widened slightly, "Were you crying?"

"...Yeah"

"Luce, what's wrong? This isn't like you. What happened?"

"I don't like people being in my apartment."

He frowned, "Why? It's not like they're ruining anything. And you've known Levy since last year, and you haven't let her in, not once. What's so special about your apartment?"

"I don't like people coming into my apartment."

"Can you tell me why?"

She met his eyes, but didn't say anything. His eyes were begging for her to trust him, to believe in him, to let him in, but she didn't say anything. She'd only known him for three days. How could she entrust him with a secret so deep in her heart?

"Luce." He said simply, "Trust me."

And she stared up at him, and shook her head, "I can't."

Hurt covered his features, but after a second his face masked it. He nodded, "Okay. I'll tell everyone to go home. See you tomorrow at school, Lucy."

He left then, and took them all with him, and Lucy couldn't help but feel she'd messed up. Big time. Not only had he left without trying harder (Natsu giving up on anything was weird enough) but he'd called her Lucy. The absence of his use of the nickname, for some stupid reason, made it all hurt more.

But she couldn't. Because the last time she'd trusted someone with her surname, everything had gone to hell. How could she tell him about the stalkers, the paparazzi, the criminals, the creeps and the gangs? It was a world much different to his own.

_'I'm sorry, Natsu. But I can't trust you with this.'_

* * *

**A\N****I** **hope everyone enjoyed! There's not as much fluff compared to the previous chapters, but don't forget, I am including a drama element to this story. **


	4. The gullible Natsu

**A/N This is a short, filler chapter, and it took two weeks to update! I'm so sorry :( I'll make it up to you guys, I promise! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited and followed once again! You guys are my motivation.**

**On a more positive note, in this chapter we meet Juvia, and Lucy confronts Natsu. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4-

For the rest of the week, Natsu didn't visit her apartment.

He barely looked at her. Whenever she tried to start a conversation with him, he'd give her short answers, then excuse himself. His usual optimism had dimmed into a faint-hearted glow, and he wasn't as loud as he always was. Even when he fought with Gray, he lacked passion.

To be frank, Lucy was tired of it. It was now Saturday, and although she had no goddamn clue where his apartment was (apart from the general vicinity he'd pointed out) she'd decided to go and visit him.

So she'd valiantly charged out of her apartment after breakfast, and was now wandering around aimlessly, marveling at the height of the apartment blocks.

"What a pain," she muttered to herself, "What am I thinking? I have no clue where his apartment is, anyway..."

"Lucy!"

Someone was calling her name. She whipped around, and saw Loke.

"Lucy!" He cried out jubilantly, "Such beauty! Such grace! Such style! I find it hard not to be in awe of-"

"Good morning to you, too, Loke."

He flashed her a smile, "And what a wonderful morning it is."

She huffed, but her lips had spread into a smile, "What do you want?"

"I was about to go to a cafe for breakfast," he explained, "And then I saw you. Do you want to come with me? You look a little lost," and then that flirtatious smile was back, and he added, "It's a date."

She rolled her eyes, "Right, right. I'd go, but I've already had breakfast."

"Oh," Loke looked like someone had killed his puppy. He stood there, and her heart betrayed her, sympathy overtaking her. It wasn't everyday that the loud and proud lion turned into a frightened kitten.

"I'll come with you. But just for tea. That's all."

He perked right back up, "You just can't resist my charms, can you?"

"I think it's the other way around. Where are we going?"

"Keys of the Zodiac. It's about five minutes from here."

They found it relatively quickly, and saw that it was extremely busy.

"It's really popular!" Loke told her above the noise, "They should still have a spot for me, though. I'm a regular."

True to his word, they were given a table. They didn't even have to wait long. Apparently Loke was here nearly every morning.

A waitress dressed as a maid walked over to them, "The usual?"

"Yep" Loke answered.

"Is it time for punishment?"

"No, Virgo."

She nodded and left. Lucy stared at Loke.

"Don't look at me like that," he sighed, "Virgo's just a little odd, that's all."

Lucy stared.

"I don't punish her. I don't punish anyone. I'm not a sadist. Or a psycho."

Lucy continued to stare.

"Lucy you're terrible."

She laughed, "It's not my fault you have weird friends."

He was blushing slightly, a rare sight on the confident playboy, "Be quiet, you. Like you have friends that are any better."

It was actually a lot of fun. Loke did flirt a little too much, but both sides knew the relationship was completely platonic. At least, Lucy thought so. The cafe was nice, although it was jam-packed with people. Lucy could already feel herself warming up to the place.

Just when Lucy was getting comfortable, Natsu walked in through the door.

She noticed him almost immediately. No-one had pink hair like his. As though he could feel her staring at him, his head turned and his eyes locked with hers. They narrowed as they took in Loke, and it was then Lucy realized how bad this looked.

It looked like she and Loke were on a date.

Natsu would understand, wouldn't he? He wasn't so gullible as to think that-

Natsu glared at the menu as he waited in line. Natsu glared at the cashier as he placed his order. And Natsu glared at Loke whilst he waited for his order.

Well, okay then. Natsu was apparently indeed gullible.

'_Of course things turned out like this,' _Lucy thought, frustrated, '_Today was supposed to be the day I fix things between us! And now it just feels like I've drive another wedge between us. Honestly, Natsu is such an idiot! Doesn't he know that friends can go out to cafe's as well?'_

Loke noticed her staring, "Do you want to go and talk to him?"

She smiled at him, grateful, "Yes, actually. It shouldn't be long."

"No worries, it's fine. I need to be going, anyway."

He seemed fidgety, distracted. He held his phone in his hands, and he kept glancing down at it, as though he was worried it would explode. Lucy made a mental note to think about it later, but right now she had to fix things with Natsu.

Natsu had received his order and was now leaving the cafe. Glaring, of course. Lucy didn't think his facial features had twitched in the slightest during the past few minutes.

She chased after him, but the crowds of people made it hard to get through. She could already see the back of his head moving farther and father away from her line of sight, and she fought desperately to leave the cafe. She finally managed to squeeze her way through and bolted after him, not caring how it looked.

"Natsu!" She called, "Natsu! Stop! Please!"

Her foot snagged on something and she fell, her knees hitting the concrete and scraping. She shrieked, much to the annoyance of the people passing by, who jumped in fright at the sudden sound.

At the sound of her shriek, Nastu turned around almost instantly, and, upon seeing her scrambling up from the floor, his eyes softened. He started to walk back to her, and offered her a hand up.

She accepted, and he pulled her up with minimal effort, "Didn't you hear me calling you? You should've waited!"

"Sorry." He muttered, looking genuinely apologetic.

Lucy softened, "Natsu, what's going on? You don't even look at me any more, let alone speak to me. Is it me spending time with Loke? Natsu, he and I are just friends, and-"

"I know that!" He suddenly burst, then quieted, "I know, but..."

"Let's not do this here. Can we go to your apartment?"

"I don't know if you'd like mine. I haven't cleaned."

"That's fine, I don't really-"

"There's a dead rat under the sink."

Lucy would've screamed, if not for his hand clamping over mouth, cutting off any sound she could make.

"Don't panic," he told her, "Otherwise I won't take my hand away."

She nodded, and he removed it. As soon as she could speak, the words were tumbling out, "What the hell do you do to your apartment? Don't you understand basic hygiene? How is there a rat? What if there's a whole family of rats, living and breeding and creating a giant family of killer rats that-"

"Lucy!" He exclaimed, "I told you not to panic!"

But he was smiling. Lucy felt her heart ache at how much she had missed it. She didn't think it was possible to miss someone's smile, but Natsu's smile was everything about him, everything good and bright and colorful. Natsu's face expressed his feelings so well, and the absence of the smile meant that something was truly bothering him.

"My bad," she said, as a way of apologizing, "Anyway, let's hurry back. It's really cold outside today."

He tugged on his scarf self-consciously, and Lucy remembered the warmth of it, how willingly he had given it to her. It was a sign of his trust, because even though Lucy currently did not know the story behind that scarf, she knew it was precious to him. It was ridiculous to be upset about it, she knew. But the fact that he wasn't going to give it to her again stung.

She really had screwed up, but she was going to fix it. Natsu had snaked his way into her heart as a friend, no, more, much more- and she wasn't going to let him slip through her fingertips so easily.

They walked the rest of the way to her apartment in an uncomfortable silence. Lucy wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what she could say. When they reached her apartment, he walked over to her lounge and sat down stiffly.

Lucy couldn't handle it anymore, "What's the matter with you?" She demanded, "I may have only known you for less than a week, but this is unusual."

"There's nothing wrong."

"Don't deny it," she replied, hands on hips, "You don't speak to me, you don't look at me, you don't even visit me! You can't tell me nothing's wrong!"

He was silent, then said, "Why didn't you trust me?"

"What?"

"You didn't trust me. When I asked you about why you don't like visitors at your apartment. Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"It's personal," she said quietly, "But you can't be serious. You've been ignoring me over that?"

"I haven't been-"

"Yes you have!"

He slumped, "Maybe I have. But Lucy, I don't get it. I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend, Natsu."

"Then why won't you trust me?"

"Because it's personal! And this conversation is going in circles!"

"Because you won't tell me what's wrong!"

"It's not only that," Lucy defended, "Even before that, you were acting strange. Why?"

He didn't say anything, and something flickered in Lucy's mind. Thoughts connected, and they came out in one perfect sentence.

"You don't like me being around Loke, because you're jealous."

He flinched, and Lucy realized it was true.

"Natsu," she said, much softer, "Loke and I are just friends. He's nice, but I wouldn't date him. To be honest, I barely even know him. I wasn't going to the cafe to meet him on purpose, I just ran into him on my way to your apartment."

He looked relieved, "That's all?"

"That's all," she confirmed, "But Natsu, you shouldn't get so jealous. I'm going to have guy friends. Besides, you shouldn't be so protective. I'm just your friend, not your girlfriend."

He nodded, "You're right. I'm sorry for acting like a jerk... I'll try not to let it happen again. It's just..." He looked troubled now, "You're my friend Lucy. You're special. I don't want you to get hurt."

She flicked him on the forehead, "Loke isn't going to hurt me." She said playfully, "So cheer up."

He still looked troubled.

* * *

"Lu-chan!" Levy said into the phone, "You won't believe what I've just heard!"

"What is it?" Lucy asked absentmindedly. She wasn't paying attention to her friends chatter, as she was too busy trying to finish an English assignment due tomorrow.

"Juvia is coming back!"

Lucy's eyes widened, snapping to attention, "Juvia?"

"Yeah, apparently she's well enough to come back to school. It's weird, though, because no-one knows what her sickness actually is. What do you think?"

"I don't know. Every time I see her, she looks healthy. It's not like she talks to anyone though."

"Yeah," Levy agreed, "She is a bit of a loner. Maybe she'll be more social this time."

"Maybe." Lucy replied, not believing it.

"Oh, I've forgotten to ask! How are things with you and Natsu?"

Lucy's fingers started drumming on the table, "I don't know," she sighed, "I didn't think he would get jealous over my friendship with Loke, but he did. Before it felt like whenever something happened, I could rely on him, but now he seems a little... Distant."

"Maybe he'll get over it," Levy offered, "It's not like him to act this way."

"I just don't understand. I understand he's upset because I didn't trust him. What I don't get why he is this upset. We only met a week ago!"

"That's just how Natsu is," Levy explained, "Even in middle-school. He treasures his friends a little too much. Like how when you were upset, he blew up and nearly broke our classroom. That's just the sort of person he is."

"I guess... Anyway, have you done the English assignment? I need some help."

* * *

"Juvia's name is Juvia Lockser!" She said dully, introducing herself the way she always did, dutifully reciting memorized lines, "Juvia been sick for a while, which is why Juvia has missed school. Drip, drip, drop."

...

"Welcome, Juvia!" Mavis said enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the mood in the room, "Isn't it great that you're better! Take your seat! It's normally next to Gray, but he's not here today!"

Juvia slid into her seat quietly. The whispers began almost instantaneously-

"It's raining again."

"It's always gloomy when she's around."

"What's her sickness? Does anyone know?"

"She's really creepy... I don't wanna sit here anymore! Swap seats with me!"

"No way! I'm not sitting in front of her!"

Simply put, Juvia was infamous. As far as Lucy knew, she didn't have any friends; but that was Juvia's fault, as she never attempted to make friends, and ignored anyone who tried to speak with her. Added to that, the fact that she'd never been at school for longer than two weeks made her a target of gossip.

It was at that moment, in class, when Lucy's phone buzzed with a text. She would only see it later, when she checked her phone on the train ride to her apartment. No matter what time she saw the text however, her reaction would always be the same.

'_Lucy, I've let you play your games long enough. It's time for you to come home. If you're not back in three days, I'll be sending a few of my friends to pick you up.'_

Of course her father wouldn't call. Her worth, in his eyes, was a single text message.


End file.
